Nweke Urges FG to Honour Late Engr Olawale Ige

A call has been made to the Federal Government through the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy for the naming of the corporate headquarters of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) after the former pioneer Minister of Communications, late Engr. Olawale Adeniji Ige.

This call was contained in an address presented at the public unveiling of the latest industry book: Sagacity of a digital revolution by Remmy Nweke by the author, while welcoming guests to the event co-hosted with the 2022 Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum on Internet Governance Forum at the Welcome Centre Hotels, International Airport Road, Lagos.

Nweke, who is also the Lead Consulting Strategist at DigitalSENSE Africa and Group Executive Editor, ITREALMS Media group, the role of late Engr. Olawale Ige cannot be over-emphasised.

According to him, late Engr. Olawale Ige died on May 9, 2022 at the age of 83 years, and has since been buried on May 20 in Ogbomosho; deserved to be honoured even posthumously considering all his pioneering efforts within the telecommunications sector as indigenous engineer.

He recalled that late Engr. Ige as the former Director-General, Ministry of Communications who later became a Minister of Communications in 1990 and was reappointed a Minister to coordinate the Ministry of Transport, Aviation, and Communications in 1992; having earlier prompted the Military authorities to create the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) which was established under Decree no. 75 in November 1992.

Pa Ige, he said, had between 1999 and 2010 served as a member of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the first Director of Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), Abuja. Engr. Ige was a member of the First World Telecommunications Advisory Group of the International Telecommunications Union with headquarters in Geneva and the pioneer chairman of Nigeria Internet Group (NIG).

“Born on 13th October 1938 in Lagos, he began his working career with Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation in Ibadan as Engineering Assistant in 1957 before proceeding to the United Kingdom to study Electrical Engineering in 1961.

“Upon his return to Nigeria in 1967, he began his working career with the Federal Ministry of Communications (Posts and Communications Department) as an Engineer and rose to become the first coordinating Director (Internal) NITEL and subsequently the General Manager, Long Distance Communications, NITEL in 1985.

“He started his consultancy practice in 1993 and was appointed a consultant on Regional African Satellite Communications implementation.

“In 1979, he was conferred with the national honour of Member of the Federal Republic (MFR) for his contribution to the growth and development of the country,” he said.

Further, he recollected that Pa Ige, had presided over various developmental initiatives and was in 2011 chaired the annual Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum on Internet for Development (IG4D) and the first Internet Protocol version Six IPv6 Roundtable by DigitalSENSE Africa among others.

A minute of silence was equally observed in honour of late baba telecom, Engr. Olawale Adeniji Ige by participants at the 2022 Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum with the theme: ‘5G: Enthroning Internet Governance for Digital Economy.’

The 2022 NDSF and public book unveiling was a twin event presided over by the President of Medallion Data Centre Limited and President, Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Engr. Ikechukwu Nnamani, who was represented by Mr. Olatunji Suleiman with a keynote presented the Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, represented by Engr. Abraham Oshadami, head of Spectrum Management at NCC alongside the Director-General, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Mallam Musa Balarabe, represented by the Lagos Zonal Director, Dr. Chibuike Ogwumike who led a delegation from NBC among others.

Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Engr. Gbenga Adebayo reviewed the book: Sagacity of a digital revolution, while the chief unveiler was the chief executive of Amano Investments WA Limited and President, Mandilas International Trade Center, Lagos, Chief Anthony Amechi Okeke.